About Christina Ledbetter

For three years, I was just the assistant for two mortgage bankers. That means my bosses provided people with home loans, and I poured the coffee.

Ever since I started working for these guys they’d talked about starting a blog…

Zzzzzzzz…

Thankfully, I convinced them nobody would read it and they should let me blog about the mortgage industry (and clothes and make-up and hair products). For around six months I kept up with the blog between making sure the office was stocked with toilet paper and filling out expense reports.

Eventually it became obvious that I was much more interested in writing than stuffing envelopes though. So now, just as a journalist embeds himself with an army platoon in the war, I hang out in this mortgage office as a reporter.

Over the years, my Bosses have grown their business, and now I write about the whole team here at the Memorial Branch of Envoy Mortgage.

I read Glamour Magazine and wish I could buy all my clothes from Anthropologie. I love pizza more than most people love their spouses.

Got mortgage (or hair, fashion, salad, pizza or wine) questions? I can connect you with the right people.

mchristinaledbetter@gmail.com c: 713.725.1419

 About James Beaver - ”The Ole Boss James”  NMLS # 235054

James has two modes.  Mode one, which takes place about 2 months per year, involves extreme physical goals (full marathon, the MS 150, Iron Man Hawaii) in which he trains ferociously and only eats what I’ve labeled as space food.  During these 2 months per year, my job is to tell him how great he’s doing.

Mode two fills in the remaining 10 months, in which James talks about what went wrong with his training for said extreme sport.  He puts off all physical activity, sustains himself on French fries and beer, and talks often about how he used to play soccer in college.  During these 10 months per year, my job is to listen, shake my head sympathetically, and feign awe that he played soccer in college.

Concerning mortgages, he’s the most honest and thorough person in the business.  You’ve got a question?  He will answer you with a roughly thousand word essay format e-mail that you can either a) read, or b) delete, and just trust that you are being taken care of better than you can imagine.

JBeaver@EnvoyMortgage.com  c: 713.213.5205

About Chad Helmcamp – “The Ole Boss Chad” NMLS # 217268

Chad has a “bacon story” that he tells at every party, happy hour, or family holiday gathering. He thinks it’s hilarious. He also has bad nerves and always thinks I’m going to get him fired. Chad needs to relax.

Chad is the nicest person I’ve ever worked with, and it’s obvious his clients feel the same way. He goes out of his way to make things easy on everyone.

Chad knows everything there is to know about mortgages and different loan programs.  He is extremely attentive and kind to clients (and to his staff, as well).

CHelmcamp@EnvoyMortgage.com  c: 713.826.8136

About Hayley Rudy – “The Hottest Mortgage Banker in Texas”

Hayley started out at Envoy Mortgage answering phones for the corporate office when she was twenty years old. Since then, she’s worked like crazy to become a mortgage banker and has been rocking this business ever since. And the funny thing is, she’s still awesome on the phone. She’s also wicked smart and so pretty we kind of hate her. Unfortunately, she’s way too friendly to hate. Borrowers instantly fall in love with Hayley and talk about how nice she is to work with. We get it. You’ll get it too when you call her.

Hayley knows the mortgage process better than anyone in this business. That’s the advantage of getting a loan with the girl who worked her way up from the receptionist desk. You’d be smart to get a loan with Hayley before she ends up running this whole company. When she’s not providing home loans, Hayley spends her weekends hanging out with her husband, family and friends and pampering her dog, Ryder. Oh, and she once scared a burglar away from robbing her neighbor’s car.

Want a loan from the nicest (and smartest) lady in this industry?

HRudy@EnvoyMortgage.com or 281.822.0660 ext. 2005

About Christina Gobe – “Hollywood Insider Mortgage Banker Gobe”

Christina is a celebrity gossip junky, so much so that we were actually surprised when she wasn’t invited to Tom and Katie’s wedding. But here’s the thing: she’s also a mortgage junky. Christina knows all the scoop concerning VA loans, FHA loans, regular loans, you name it. Because of this, and because she’s genuinely a really nice lady, realtors love her. Sometimes we’ll hear Christina on the phone and think she’s talking to a friend or a sister, only to find out it is a realtor, a lucky realtor who does business with Christina.

Looking for a mortgage banker who knows it all? Contact Christina Gobe at:

CGobe@EnvoyMortgage.com c: 713.725.7475

About Will Zugheri – “V-Shaped Mortgage Banker Will”

Will is shaped like a V. Will can break your arms. Now back off. Unless of course you’d like a mortgage…

In that case, you’re in really good hands. Will has been providing borrowers with home loans for well over a decade. Before working in the mortgage industry, Will was a stock broker, and that experience helps him understand all aspects of the market. So it’s kind of like he knows everything. Here’s the thing about Will though: not only does he know this industry backward and forward, he genuinely cares about his clients and their experience in this whole loan process. He’s also eager to help his clients. Even when folks simply call with questions, Will is so nice and willing to share his knowledge.

When Will isn’t working, he’s following horse racing, taking weekend trips with his wife and raising two sons. And for the record, he has never broken anyone’s arms.

Want a loan with the coolest guy in the office?

WZugheri@EnvoyMortgage.com or 281.658.4518

About Jason Bates – “Online Dater Mortgage Banker Jason”

Jason is an online dater. Sometimes the rest of us in the office get bored with our lives and beg him to tell us his dating stories, and then Jason spends a few minutes pacifying us with his tales of dinners gone wrong. Not only does Jason accommodate us, he also accommodates his clients. But instead of dishing about his dating life, he tells his borrowers everything they need to know about mortgages.

Jason is the friendliest guy in our branch and on days that he’s out meeting with clients or realtors, we actually miss him and ask each other, “Where’s Jason?” His borrowers feel the same way, and that’s why so many of his clients refer him to their moms, brothers and sisters. Well, that and the fact that the guy is really good at what he does. Realtors also love Jason because of his eagerness to help them with their business. And when clients and realtors are pleased with his work (which is, like, every day), Jason likes to shout, “Boom!” And when he’s not shouting, he is mountain biking or watching movies with his nieces and nephews.

Want Jason to shout, “Boom!” after providing you with a super smart loan? Contact him at:

JBates@EnvoyMortgage.com or 281.682.2407

John Frels – “Just So John”

John likes things just so. And while John likes things just so in the office bathroom (you better not even think about peeing on the seat around here), the parking lot (he may murder the lady who keeps parking in guest parking when it’s obvious she’s not a guest), and at Jimmy Johns (it’s this sandwich shop that won’t deliver to us and John can’t handle it), he also likes things just so on his loans, which means he goes out of his way to ensure  his clients are fully taken care of. Trust us, you want your mortgage banker to be picky.

John has been in the mortgage industry since 1992, and because he has seen the mortgage industry go through lots of twists and turns since then, his clients trust him for good reason. When asked why clients return to him, John says, “I’ll tackle anything, and my clients know I’ll do what I say.” Tackle he will. Once, John secured a loan for a transgendered person and had all sorts of paperwork to tackle to prove he wasn’t doing a loan for two people (one w-2 had the client listed as a man, and the next year’s form listed a woman). “For a while, my friends called me the transgender lender,” John says. (You can just call him John though.)

Want a loan from a guy who’s seen it all? Get in touch with John:

JFrels@EnvoyMortgage.com or 713.822.0475

Richard answers his phone by going, “Hello?” We asked him why and he said, “Sometimes I say, ‘This is Richard,’ but then I always go back to hello.” So if you call Richard for a loan, you may think he’s answering his home phone in his living room, but actually he’s in his office in front of a computer. All this to say, Richard is a personable guy. And that’s one reason clients enjoy working with him so much.

And it’s not just borrowers who love Richard. Realtors love him because he keeps them updated throughout the entire loan process, and of course he always answers his phone. (He also bakes for them which probably helps, too.) Richard has been in this business for close to two decades, and he’s the two-time past president of the NAPMW (National Association of Professional Mortgage Women – apparently it’s not just for women). When he’s not handling mortgages, he’s spending time with his nieces and nephews or playing with his dog, Rufus. If you’d like Richard to tell you hello before securing your very own mortgage for you, contact him at:

RAlvarado@EnvoyMortgage.com or 713.254.1530

About Shane Davis – “Straight Shooter Shane”

Shane used to be in a fraternity in college and refuses to show anyone else in the office the secret handshake of the fraternity house. The guy is devoted. He’s also devoted to mortgages. After majoring in management and marketing from Texas Tech, Shane began working in the mortgage industry in 2006. At his last company, he was the boss, so now we all warily eye him to make sure he’s not trying to take over the whole office. Shane is also crazy about his family and has an adorable son (please see Shane’s Facebook page for the alphabetical albums of the kid).

Shane doesn’t monkey around with clients. Sometimes the rest of us are like, “Dang, he sure told that guy how it is.” Straight shooter, that Shane. While other mortgage banks tell borrowers exactly what they want to hear (think, “1% interest and no fees!” but then the fee ends up being like $19,000), Shane explains all aspects of a mortgage to his clients in an honest way. Turns out, our clients like honesty. That’s why they come back to Shane.

Looking for an honest mortgage and don’t feel like being coddled? Give Shane a shout:

SDavis@EnvoyMortgage.com or 281.822.0660 ext. 2012

While I will use this blog to make fun of all these people, you should know that I think very highly of all of them. I’ve used this team for my own mortgages even before I started working here, and when I’m a famous author soaking it up in the Rocky Mountains one day, I’m still going to be using this gang for my vacation homes. I won’t even need mortgages by then, but I’ll get them anyway. Let’s hope James has stopped talking up the glory days on the soccer field by then…